Sergeant First Class faces severe penalties for exploiting recruits’ personal information to defraud credit union.
NEWARK, N.J. — Jane Crosby, 33, a sergeant first class and U.S. Army recruiter from Jersey City, New Jersey, has been charged with multiple counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme that exploited U.S. Army recruits’ personal information.
The charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, allege that Crosby used her position to fraudulently open accounts and apply for loans using recruits’ identities without their consent.
According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Crosby is accused of misusing her access to sensitive personal data of seven Army recruits and recruit candidates between September 12, 2023, and December 27, 2023.
The alleged scheme involved submitting “Pre-Active Duty Membership” applications to a credit union on behalf of the recruits, which would typically be used to set up direct deposits for military salaries. However, Crosby reportedly used the victims’ names, Social Security numbers, and other identifying documents, such as passports and driver’s licenses, to open fraudulent bank accounts.